Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The graph compares the average emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) per person across four counties- United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, the number of carbon emissions for United Kingdom and Sweden experienced the minimal fall, whereas Italy and Portugal increased slowly over the period.

In detail, between 1967 and 2007, the United Kingdom decreased slightly from around 11 metric tonnes to nearly 9 metric tonnes. Sweden initially increased from 9 metric tonnes in 1967 to just above 10 metric tonnes in 1977. After that, this number dipped rapidly to nearly below 6 metric tonnes by the end of the 2007.

Regarding the remaining countries, Italy increased significantly from approximately 4 metric tonnes to around 8 metric tonnes over the period. Portugal also experienced the rapid growth and reached with the number of Sweden. The value increased nealy six fold from around 1 metric tonnes to nearly 6 metric tonnes between 1967 and 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the four countries and the overall contrast between falling emissions in the UK and Sweden and rising figures in Italy and Portugal. Several key comparisons are also reported accurately: the UK falls from about 11 to 9 tonnes, Sweden peaks in 1977, and Italy rises from roughly 4 to 8. However, the overview is imprecise: the UK’s decline is gradual, while Sweden’s is substantial after its peak, so describing both as having a “minimal fall” misses an important distinction. Some details are also unclear or inaccurate: Portugal ends at about 5.4 tonnes, matching Sweden, not simply “reached with the number of Sweden,” and Italy levels off between 1997 and 2007. A more precise overview and fuller reporting of these patterns would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear four-part structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs grouped by countries. This gives the reader a coherent route through the information, and phrases such as “Overall,” “In detail,” and “Regarding the remaining countries” help signal each stage. The grouping of the UK and Sweden, followed by Italy and Portugal, is sensible. However, some links between ideas are not fully clear, particularly “After that, this number dipped rapidly to nearly below 6,” where the reference and endpoint are awkwardly expressed. The final sentence also repeats the period and growth information rather than adding a distinct comparison. More precise referencing and smoother connections between figures would make the progression less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “emissions,” “metric tonnes,” “increased,” “dipped,” and “approximately.” These choices make the main trends understandable, and “initially increased” appropriately describes Sweden’s early rise. There are, however, several inaccurate or unnatural collocations: “the number of carbon emissions,” “experienced the minimal fall,” and “reached with the number of Sweden” do not express the intended comparisons naturally. “Rapid growth” also overstates Portugal’s steady rise, while “nealy” is a spelling error. Aim for precise trend language such as “emissions fell slightly,” “rose steadily,” and “ended at the same level as Sweden.” This would improve accuracy and flexibility without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the time clause “between 1967 and 2007” and the contrastive transition “After that.” Most sentences communicate the intended trend, and the past tense is generally appropriate for the historical data. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “the United Kingdom and Sweden experienced the minimal fall,” the singular article and construction are problematic; “the UK and Sweden saw declines” would be clearer. “Portugal also experienced the rapid growth and reached with the number of Sweden” has faulty sentence construction, and “from around 1 metric tonnes” contains a number–noun agreement error. The phrase “nearly below 6” is also structurally awkward. Revising these patterns would improve control while retaining your sentence variety.

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